1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radiographic image capturing system and a radiographic image capturing method for irradiating a subject with radiation and converting radiation that has passed through the subject into a radiographic image by means of a radiation detection device. The present invention also relates to a radiographic image acquiring apparatus for acquiring the radiographic image from the radiation detection device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the medical field, it has widely been practiced to apply radiation to a subject and to convert radiation that has passed through the subject into a radiographic image by a radiation conversion panel, and then to acquire the radiographic image from the radiation conversion panel. One known type of radiation conversion panel is a stimulable phosphor panel, which stores radiation energy representative of a radiographic image in a phosphor, and then, when the stimulable phosphor panel is irradiated with stimulating light, a radiographic image is obtained as stimulated light representative of the stored radiographic image. In this case, the stimulable phosphor panel is supplied to a radiographic image acquiring apparatus, and by carrying out acquisition processing of the radiographic image, the radiographic image can be obtained as a visible image.
Further, recently, in sites of medical practice such as operating rooms or the like, it is necessary to acquire and display radiographic image information from a radiation conversion panel immediately after capturing a radiographic image, for the purpose of quickly and appropriately treating patients. As a radiation conversion panel which meets such a requirement, there have been developed a direct conversion type of radiation detection device, in which solid state detection elements are used that directly convert radiation into electrical signals, as well as an indirect conversion type of radiation detection device utilizing a scintillator, which converts radiation into visible light, and solid state detection elements for converting the visible light into electrical signals.
Incidentally, in a medical organization, a radiographic image capturing system may be set up having a plurality of radiation detection devices equipped with the aforementioned radiation conversion panels. (See, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-073462 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2009-219586.)
An explanation shall now be made concerning application of radiation to a subject (image capturing) and acquisition processing of radiographic images, for a case in which all of the radiation detection devices within the radiographic image capturing system are radiation detection devices equipped with a radiation conversion panel (hereinafter also referred to as a Flat Panel Detector or FPD) of a direct conversion or indirect conversion type.
First, a doctor or radiological technician selects one radiation detection device from among the plurality of radiation detection devices and, concerning the FPD of the selected radiation detection device, prepares the same so as to be capable of storing electrical signals (electrical charges) converted from the radiation.
Next, the doctor or radiological technician positions the subject (patient) between a radiation source and the one radiation detection device. In such a state, when radiation is irradiated from the radiation source onto the one radiation detection device through the subject, the FPD converts radiation that has passed through the subject into electrical charges, which are then stored. After application of radiation, the radiographic image acquiring apparatus acquires the electrical charges that have been stored in the FPD as a radiographic image corresponding to the subject.
In this manner, with the radiographic image capturing system according to the conventional art, one radiation detection device is selected, radiation is irradiated onto the radiation detection device from the radiation source while passing through the subject, and by acquiring a radiographic image from the one radiation detection device, the radiographic image acquiring apparatus associates the subject with the radiographic image.
Incidentally, responsive to a condition of the one radiation detection device (for example, in the event of malfunctioning of the one radiation detection device, or if the charge amount of a battery thereof is not a sufficient charge amount required to capture an image), cases may occur in which image capturing is carried out using a different radiation detection device in place of the one radiation detection device. In such a case, when radiation is irradiated onto the other radiation detection device from the radiation source while passing through the subject, the subject is reflected in the radiographic image of the other radiation detection device.
However, in a case where the radiation detection device is changed, yet one forgets to notify the radiographic image acquiring apparatus of the details concerning carrying out of image capturing, there is a concern that the radiographic image acquiring apparatus may acquire the radiographic image from the selected one radiation detection device, and thus erroneously associate the subject with the radiographic image therefrom. In this case, because when the radiographic image acquiring apparatus acquires the radiographic image from the one radiation detection device, the subject is not properly reflected in the radiographic image, it is determined that an image capturing failure has occurred, and image capturing must be carried out again with respect to the subject.
Stated otherwise, with the radiographic image capturing system according to the conventional art, in the event that the radiation detection device (the other radiation detection device), which is equipped with the FPD that actually was irradiated with radiation, does not match with the radiation detection device (the one radiation detection device) equipped with the FPD from which the radiographic image is acquired, image capturing is carried out again without acquiring the radiographic image possessed by the other radiation detection device and in which the subject's image is reflected, and thus there is a concern that the subject is unnecessarily exposed to radiation.